The soft clink of a teacup echoed in the quiet chamber. The light filtering through the tall windows of the estate had dimmed into a golden hue, casting long shadows along the polished floors.
Aurean stood beside the marble fireplace, arms crossed, his thoughts still lingering on Cael's visit. An omega… knighted. It felt like a jest. Like a lie.
But it wasn't.
"Tholan," he said without turning, "come in."
The door eased open, and the head butler stepped in, bowing low. As always, Tholan was composed, dignified, and discreet—the sort of man who had served through empires, revolutions, and secrets no parchment dared record.
"Yes, my lord?"
Aurean turned to face him, expression unreadable.
"Tell me everything I've missed since I left. The truth—not the version fed to courtiers and foreign emissaries."
Tholan's silver brows rose just slightly, but he inclined his head and moved further into the room.
"Very well." He took a breath. "Let us begin with the attempted assassination of Prince Kael and Lord Halric Veldar."
Aurean blinked. "Assassination?"
"Yes," Tholan said. "By none other than Vereth—Prince Kael's close friend and ally. He turned on them without warning. Had it not been for Prince Rythe, they both would have perished."
Aurean's lips quirked in faint, wry amusement.
"Of course. Always Rythe."
Tholan said nothing to that. He merely continued.
"Not long after, the empire began facing an enemy no one could name. A threat without banners or borders."
Aurean's gaze darkened, intrigued now.
"And Rythe?"
"He responded in a way no one expected. One day, without warning, he returned with fifty omegas at his side hardened, disciplined. Then, before the court, he knighted them."
Aurean blinked. "He what?"
"He knighted them," Tholan repeated. "The court was in an uproar. Omegas had never been permitted to bear arms, let alone carry the title of knight. They called it treason, a joke. But Prince Rythe did not flinch."
"What happened?"
"He fought with the court. Not with blades, but with resolve. When opposition rose from the public, he stood firm. He named the fifty in his personal order—Knights of the Crescent Sigil—not bound to the imperial military, but to him and to the realm. Since they fell outside the chain of command, the Emperor gave his approval."
Aurean moved to the window, staring out into the open garden. The words settled in him like weight. Like stone.
"The first omega knights in Ardan's history," he murmured.
Tholan nodded.
"And though many doubted them at first… they've proven themselves time and again. In silence. In storms. No one questions their worth anymore."
Aurean's throat tightened, but he masked it behind a long breath.
"And the Queen?"
"Reinstated," Tholan replied. "The Omega Queen. Everyone thought her dead, hidden away in exile. It was Prince Rythe who gave her back her crown."
Aurean's voice was barely audible. "Why?"
"Because she never should have lost it," Tholan said gently. "And because she gave hope to many. Especially to the omegas."
Aurean closed his eyes, letting the words wash over him like cold water.
"What else?"
"Prince Rythe went alone for months on a secret mission—no word, no protection, no ceremony. When he returned, he came back things changed."
Aurean turned sharply. "Changed?"
"Traitors," Tholan said. "Dozens of them. Noble families, court officials, merchant guilds. He exposed them all. Had them arrested in one coordinated sweep. It was… surgical."
"And their businesses?"
"Dismantled. Those that served as fronts for the enemy were destroyed from the inside. Assets seized. Influence severed."
Aurean let out a slow breath. It felt like the air had shifted. Like the world had changed and he had missed it.
"He… truly did all that?"
Tholan gave a faint nod.
"That's not all. He initiated major renovations across the empire. Rebuilt damaged towns. Repaired trade roads. Strengthened defenses along the southern border. Education initiatives. Refuge shelters. The changes are everywhere now."
He paused, then added softly:
"The empire is better for it. Everything has changed."
Aurean said nothing for a long time. The silence stretched between them like a chasm.
When he finally spoke, it was not to Tholan but to the quiet dusk outside the window.
"He became the man I always thought he could be… but never believed he would."
Tholan remained silent.
Because there was nothing else to say.